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It Pays To Be Patient!
Learning to estimate how long it might take for a child to realize the connection between his or her behavior and an interesting event can make play time more fun for both the parent and the child
 

The term "early contingency learning" describes that point where young children learn that their behavior can result in interesting events or consequences. In this material, staff and parents will learn that children with disabilities need more time to grasp this concept. The step-by-step process described here will help parents understand their own child's process of development and make play time more fun for everyone.

The following fact sheet is provided courtesy of the Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development.

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It Pays To Be Patient!

Learning to estimate how long it might take for a child to realize the connection between his or her behavior and an interesting event can make play time more fun for both the parent and the child.

This important type of learning is called "early contingency learning." A young child learns that an interesting event or consequence will happen because of something he or she does. While children without disabilities frequently learn this cause-and-effect connection within 3 to 4 minutes of having the opportunity to make something happen, research tells us that children with disabilities or delays often need more time to learn the connection between something they do and being rewarded with an interesting event. This delay is called a "latency to learn."

Three things directly affect a child's latency to learn:

  • the type of disability the child has,
  • the severity of the disability, and
  • the child's chronological age.

More>> [PDF, 171KB]

"It Pays To Be Patient! Learning to estimate how long it might take for a child to realize the connection between his or her behavior and an interesting event can make play time more fun for both the parent and the child." If it Fits. Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development: Center for Evidence-Based Practices. ED/OSERS/OSEP. 2003. English. [PDF, 171KB].